Welcome to the North West Territory.   My name is Brian.   I’m 24 years old and currently working onmyMasters in International Affairs at Carleton University inOttawa.  

Let’s get started.

An article in yesterday’s GlobeandMaildiscusses the decision by South African prosecutors toclearJacob Zuma, the future president of South Africa, of allbriberycharges.  The decision ends a seven-year legalbattleoverallegations of criminalfraud and racketeering, stemmingfroma controversial, multibillion-dollar armsdeal in the1990’s.   As the Globe and Mail article discusses, thedecisionby the Prosecuting Authority almost ensures that theAfricanNational Congress (ANC) will win the national elections laterthismonth with Jacob Zuma as its candidate.

Regardless of the whether theprosecutorsshould have pressed forward with the case (as many ofthe otherpolitical parties had advocated), and irrespective ofone’sopinion of Mr. Zuma more generally, a more fundamentalissue stemsfrom this case.   Despite the increasingly negative press thatMr.Zumahas received both inside his country and in the outsidemedia, theparty is still expected to win handily in the upcomingelections.   Why in the context of such extreme chargesfacingtheANC’s presidential candidate have theoppositionparties failed to present a competitive alternative tothe rulingparty?

Clearly the history of the ANC is onethatisinextricably linked to the struggle against apartheid.  Being the party that fought forthecountry’sliberation from apartheid, it’s easytoimagine the legacy that was created between the party and thepeoplethroughout the years of struggle.  Yet it has been 15 years since the ANC gainedpowerand in each of the three elections held since, the party haswonoverwhelming majorities.

This is not to suggest that the ANC doesnotdeserve to winthe election or that it has not fulfilledits promisessince attaining power.   Such claims are better left answered by theSouthAfrican electorate.  However, it is interesting that in over 15 yearssinceapartheid ended, South Africa in effect remains a state ruledby oneparty.

Yet, while the ANC will almost certainlywintheupcoming election, there appears to be for the firsttime,frustration over the job that the ANC is doing managingthecountry’s economy.  One series of polls found a drop in the percentageofSouth Africans who approve of the job the ANC is doing, andevenArchbishop DesmundTutu has criticized the party ahead oftheupcoming elections.   While the April 22 elections will seethe ANCmaintainpower, they just may be the first real test for the partyin 15years.